9 Quotes by Al-Maʿarri

The inhabitants of the earth are of two sorts: those with brains, but no religion, and those with religion, but no brains.

O fools, awake! The rites ye sacred hold

The world holds two classes of men; intelligent men without religion, and religious men without intelligence.

A little doubt is better than total credulity.

They all err - Muslims, Christians, Jews and Magians. There are two kinds of humans - the intelligent, who have no religion, and the religious, who have no intellect.

Hanifs (Muslims) are stumbling, Christians all astray

They recite their sacred books, although the fact informs me that these are a fiction from first to last. O Reason, thou (alone) speakest the truth. Then perish the fools who forged the (religious) traditions or interpreted them!

Reason forbade me many things which,

Give a drink of water as alms to the birds which go forth at morning, and deem that they have a better right than men [to thy charity]. For their race brings not harm upon thee in any wise, when thou fearest it from thine own race.